Internal-combustion engine



y 1952 LE GRAND L. JORDAN 2,596,410

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Filed Dec. 26, 1947 Le fraud L.Jordan Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED" STATES PAT E NT OFF IC E 2,596,410 INTERNAL-"COMBUSTION ENGINE Le Grand h Jordan, Los 'Ang'eles, Calif; Application-December 26, 1947, Serial No. 793,949

1. This invention relates to internai combustion engines, and more parti'cularlyt'o new constructions and arrangements therein whereby a vertical cam shaft carrying cams in the center of the engine, at one end of said shaft, and in which the other end of said shaft is driven directly by a crank of said engine, is made possible.

Among the salient objects of the inventionare: To provide in an engineof the character referredt'o a cam shaft carryingcams in the cylinder head, saidcam shaft being disposed in'a position parallel with the axes of the cylinders for said engine; to provide in suchan engine a cam shaft geared at ornear one end directly to a crank, and at its other end having driving cams for operating the intake and exhaust valves of the engine; to provide a cam shaft of the character referred to carrying a single cam for operating all of the intake valves, and another single cam for operating all'of the exhaust valves; to provide such a cam shaft which isfiequidistant from all of the cylinders arranged aroundit and are parallel therewith; to provide such a cam shaft carrying an ignition distributor on one end andwhich is also equidistant from each cylinder; to provide a cam shaft which is connected with and operates an oilpump at one end, and a distributor on the otherend thereof, with cams on said shaft therebetween; to provide a hollow cam shaft with an oil pump at one end and connected to force oil through-said hollow cam shaft, said hollow shaft being-alsoprovided with lateral orifices therefrom for-"spraying oil on to the overhead mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will be-apparent from a more detailed description of'the invention, taken with the two sheetsof' drawings illustrating one practical embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view tak'en through an internal combustion engine embody! ing my invention, with a middle-portion broken out to reduce the size of thefigure; the lower part thereof being taken on the line la-Ia; and the upper part thereof being taken on the irregular section line I-l, of Fig. 3; v

Figure 2 is a detail of the oil pump in section, taken on line 22, of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-4, of Fig. 1; and v Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the-line 4-4 ofFig. 1. v

Referring in detail to the-drawings, I have shown the invention embodied in a four" cylinder engine in which the cylinders are designated 's eiaims. (cries-52) 5, 5, and 5', 5, and are shown in vertical section in Fig. 1, and indicated in light broken lines in Fig; 3. Said cylinders are-mounted upon-a crank case or housing 6, shownin vertical sectionin Fig. 1, and in horizontal section in Fig. 4, and in which are two twin cranks 1, -1, and 8, 8,

driving two crank shafts 9 and It, all mounted in suitable bearings, as H, H, and I2, l2, a-t opposite sides of the crank case or housing '6, said crank-shafts carrying two'meshin'g gears I 3" and i4, keyed thereto, as at 13' and M, Fig. 4; Said twin cranks 1, 1, are connected to their crank shaft 9, by counter-weight members, as [5, l5, and twin cranks 8, 8-, are connected to their crank shaft ill by counter-weight members, as :6, l6, shown in edge view in Fig. 4', and in side View in Fig. 1, the weight portions being designated l5" and I6, respectively, as will be clear from Fig. 1. The crankarms from the cranks 1,1, and 8, 8, to the pistons (not shown) in the cylinders 5, 5, are designated 1, 1", and 8, 8", only their connectionswith said cranks 1,1 and 8, '8, being indicated in section in Fig. 4; The cylinders 5,5, in which crank arms 1", 1" from cranks" 1, 1', operate, are closer to each other than they" are to the cylinders 5', 5 in which the crank arms =8, 8', from cranks 8, 3, operate. This will be clear fromthe broken line indications in, Fig. 3, and yet the cylinders are all equally spaced radially from the center.

Mounted upon the cylinders or cylinder block, is acylinder head or housing, designated l1-, of four extensions, as seen in horizontal section in Fig. 3, and seen in vertical section in Fig. l. The

upper half l1" of saidcylinder head or case 11 is removable, as indicatedby a joint at [8.

Formed in said cylinder'head or case 11 is an intake chamber or manifold 18", with a common fuel supply pipe [9, Fig. 3, and from each of the four cylinders is an exhaust pipe, each designated 20, exhaust valve seats being designated 2 l,

andexhaust valves therefor being designated 22,

and each having a spring closing mechanism, designated 23, normally holding said valves closed, as clearly in'dicatedinFig. 1, where-oneof the exhaust valvesis shown incl'osed position; and" chain open position;

Intake valveseatsaredesignated 24, with intake valves therefor designated 25; each having springclosing mechanism, designated 26. One

ofsaid'intakevalves 25, is shown in open positio'n 'and one inclosed position in Fig; 1. construction thereof with their spring closing The mechanisms'is clear from said Fig. 1.

Each ofthe intake valvesismoved to it open position, against the tension of its spring 26, by a rocker arm, as 21, on a shaft as 28, in the cylinder head or case IT, as indicated in Fig. 3; and each of said exhaust valves is moved to open position, against the tension of its spring 23, by a rocker arm, as 29, on a shaft 30, in the cylinder head or case H, as indicated.

Each intake valve 25, with its rocker arm 21, on the shaft 28, is operated through an off-set finger 3|, depending downwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. l, with a push rod 32, connected therewith, as at 33, and at its other end, each of said push rods connects with a separate cam block, as 34, slidably held in a four-way block 35, as seen in section in Fig. 3, which is a sectional view through the upper end of said block or member 35.

Each exhaust valve 22, with its'rocker arm 29, on'the shaft 30, is operated through an off-set finger 36, extended upwardly, as shown, with a push rod 31, connected therewith, as at 38, and at its other end, each of said push rods connects with a cam block 39, slidably held in the upper end of said four-way block or cylinder 35, as seen in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that the valve seats 2| and 24, in each cylinder head are set at an angle to each other, said cylinder head being of dome form. This makes possible larger valve seats, and larger valves without increasing the diameter of the cylinder, thus making for greater efficiency in a high compression engine. Attention is also called to the fact that the short rocker arms 21 and 29, on the parallel shafts 28 and 33, are operated by off-set fingers 3| and 36 on said shafts.

This makes it possible to have clearance for the push rods 32 and 31 without interference with said valves and their angularly disposed valve stems. It is believed this construction and arrangement is new in the art of internal com bustion engines.

A special camshaft 40 is shown supported centrally of the engine, parallel with the axes of the four cylinders 5, 5, 5', said cam shaft having near its lower end, a worm gear 4|, keyed thereto, as at 42, said worm gear being driven by a worm 43, on the connecting member 44, between twin cranks 1, 1, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 4.

The lowerend of said cam shaft 40 is connected with and operates an oil pump, consisting of a case 45, with cover 46, with bearing 41, for the end of said shaft; On the end of said cam shaft, within the case 45, is a gear 48, keyed thereto, as at 49, and meshing with a gear 50,

said gears forming the oil pumping means, to receive oil from the main crank case 6, through a port 5|, and carry it around to port 52, connected by passage 53 with the pocket 54, in register with the lower end of the hollow crank shaft 40, whereby said oil pump will pumpoilfrom the crank case up through said hollow cam shaft 40, to the upper end thereof.' At the upper end of said cam shaft, it is provided with two cam portions, designated 55 and 56, respectively, for operating the push rods32,-.32, and 31, 31. This is done through the cam blocks or members 34, 34, for the intake valves, and through the cam blocks 39, 39, for the exhaust valves, and in the upper end of said central member, designated as a whole 35, through which and in'which the upper end of the hollow cam shaft 40 operates, asclearly shown in Fig. l. The cam portions 55 and 56 are shown formed on the upper end of said hollow cam shaft 40, but need not be limited to this form. The upper end of said hollow cam shaft is shown with branch oil ports, as at 51, at opposite sides, and 58 at the upper end, whereby to spray oil on to the overhead mechanisms, including said sliding cam blocks or members 34, 34, and 39, 39, the outer ends of some of said ports being slightly upturned, as shown, to direct a spray of oil toward the bearings of the rocker arms or fingers, on the shafts 28 and 30, at all sides. This forms a spray or mist of oil to lubricate these parts during the operation of the engine.

On the upper end of the cam shaft 40, is the ignition distributor, designated as a whole 59, and including a member 60, of insulating material, and carrying a contact member 6|, to intermittently contact the member 62, in the cap or top 63, also of insulating material. The circuit wires are designated 64, 64 and 65.

As the contact member 6| is revolved with the shaft 40 and the member 60, it intermittently contacts with the inner contact ends of the conduits 64, 64, as indicated in Fig. 1. This arrangement places the ignition distributor on top of the center of the cylinder head cover with the rotor mounted on the top end of the cam shaft, above the cams. This puts said distributor in a most convenient position and requires short length cables for connection with the spark plugs.

By using a hollow cam shaft, as explained, the oil pressure can be directed directly from the pump into the shaft and carried all the way to the top of the engine, with ports laterally therefrom for the various bearings.

With this twin crank or square four engine, the normal firing order is in circular rotation. It is therefore possible and in practice appears to be quite practical to utilize the vertical shaft to carry and operate the cams in the center of the engine structure, and to drive it directly from one of the crank shafts in the manner indicated. The main advantage is that without excessive complications, it makes possible the use of angularly positioned valves in a domef or spherical combustion chamber, which arrangement is far more eificient than the smaller parallel stem valves heretofore used. Q

This novel arrangement also makes possible a cam on said cam shaft which in succession operates all of the exhaust valves through short push rods, and just below this cam is a second cam to operate all of the intake valves in the same manner, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and '3.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, four cylinders arranged in pairs, a two-part cylinder head thereon, a common fuel supply pipe connected with the lower part of said cylinder head between said pairs of cylinders, intake and exhaust chambers formed in the lower part of said cylinder head, a centrally disposedcam shaft between said pairs of cylinders and parallel therewith, two cams on'the upper end of said cam shaft, to turn therewith, and positioned in said cylinder head, above said supply pipe connection, intake and exhaust valve seats for each cylinder in planes at angles to each other, at the juncture of said cylinder head with saidcylinder, two valves having angularly disposed valve stems on said valve seats,'for each cylinder, two parallel bearing shafts above each cylinder, in said cylinder head, a rocker arm on each shaft for each cylinder with its free end operatively bearing on the stem of one of said valves, an operating finger on each shaft, 2. push rod extended from eachfinger and operatively connected to be actuated by one of said cams on said cam shaft, a crank case connected with the cylinders, two cranks in said case geared together, said cam shaft be ing extended into said crank case at its lower end and connected to be driven from one of said cranks.

2. A claim as in 1 in which the rocker arms on said parallel shafts above each cylinder extend in opposite directions in the same plane, and in which the operating fingers on said parallel shafts above each cylinder extend in opposite directions in the same plane.

3. A claim as in 2 in which said operating fingers on the parallel shafts above each cylinder extend one upwardly and one downwardly, and in which the push rods from said fingers are positioned one above and one below said parallel shafts for each cylinder.

4. In a four cylinder internal combustion engine, two crank shafts geared together, four cylinders arranged in pairs, with pistons therein, two of said pistons of each pair being connected with each crankshaft, the center distance between cylinders of a pair being less than the distance between pairs, a centrally disposed camshaft With its axis parallel with said cylinders, driving connections from one of said crank shafts to said cam shaft, two cams on said camshaft, each of said cams being surrounded by four cam followers, two inclined valves in the head of each cylinder, offset bellcrank rockers operatively connected for operating said valves, said bellcrank rockers having two arms extending in opposite directions in the same plane and two arms extending upwardly and downwardly in the same plane, said planes being parallel with each other and the planes of the four cylinders being spaced at ninety degree angles around said cam shaft and the cams thereon.

5. In a four cylinder internal combustion engine, two crank shafts geared together, four cylinders arranged in pairs, with pistons therein, two of said pistons of each pair being connected with each of said crankshafts, the center distance 6 between cylinders of a pair being less than the distance between pairs, a centrally disposed camshaft with its axis parallel with said cylinders, driving connections from one of said crankshafts to said camshaft, two cams on said camshaft, each of said cams being surrounded by four cam followers slidably held in a four-way block for operation by said cams, two inclined valves in the head of each cylinder, offset bellcrank rockers connected with said cam followers for operating said valves, the arms of said rockers for operating said valves being positioned in opposite directions in the same plane, and the arms of said rockers connected with said cam followers being in opposite directions, up and down, in the same plane, said planes being at right angles around said camshaft and said cams and said cam followers.

LE GRAND L. JORDAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 888,196 Rudd et a1. May 19, 1908 1,096,544 Krayer May 12, 1914 1,204,892 Macomber Nov. 14, 1916 1,332,350 Manrodt Mar. 2, 1920 1,374,315 Murphy Apr. 12, 1921 1,492,215 Nedoma Apr. 29, 1924 1,501,392 Burtnett et a1. July 15, 1924 1,543,113 Lleo et al June 23, 1925 1,548,560 Smith Aug. 4, 1925 1,604,603 Powell Oct. 26, 1926 1,787,493 Redrup Jan. 6, 1931 1,810,017 Houston June 16, 1931 2,118,804 Andersen May 31, 1938 2,226,595 Swenson Dec. 31, 1940 2,263,034 Fiedler Nov. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 503,282 France Mar. 15, 1920 

